Epping bowls club were at the Epping show again this year and the
Mayor of Epping decided to show us how it should be
done!

We also hosted Epping St John School children on 2 Mondays in July
to 'have a go' at bowls, a particularly well attended event.
Pictures on the left.

Epping Bowls Club is keen to attract new members for the season
April to September 2019. We host varied and popular events on
Friday evenings .

The 2019/20 season started with the green officially opened by Cllr
Ricki Gadsby Deputy Chair of Concil on Saturday 13th
April.

Epping Bowls Club enjoyed a very special competition on Sunday 5th
May. ‘Pete’s Pearler’ celebrated Peter Bates’ pearl anniversary and
30 years as a member of the club.

Twenty-four members turned out for the singles competition run in
two groups, each playing two matches of seven ends using three
bowls. The final was contested by the winner of each group and
bought together Marie Hammond from Cheshunt and Steve Baker from
Theydon Bois. In a close match of 11 ends Steve Baker won and
received a bottle of champagne.

Peter, who lives in Epping, hosted the event with food and drink
and despite the cold weather, it was claimed by all to be an
excellent day of bowls.

Peter said “It has been an honour and privilege to have served as a
member of Epping bowls club for 30 years. I’ve had the very good
fortune to have met and played with lots of lovely
people.

Over time I have played with and against some of the best bowlers
in Essex. I can say with great conviction that the ancient game of
bowls is an excellent way of making lifelong friends, spending time
in the open air as well as combating stress and loneliness. I
thoroughly recommend it to anyone of any age or gender and it is
definitely not just a game for old people.”

Club Captain Ron Perryman said “Thirty years at the same club is
exceptional and over the years Peter does so much for us – he is
our ‘Jack of all trades’ person. His success as a bowls player in
tournaments and matches is testimony to the number of times his
name appears on our winners’ boards. Peter is admired by all and is
a great mentor”.

Who said bowls was only for the
old?

Students from Epping St John’s
School teamed up with near neighbours Epping Bowls Club for a ‘Come
& Try’

The opportunity to try something
new fitted neatly into the school’s plans to offer alternative
sports to students at the end of the school year. Tom McGarr, Head
of Sport, said: “We were delighted to be invited by Epping Bowls
Club earlier this year and this was a ‘first’ for us
both.

The staff could see how much the
students enjoyed themselves and we are keen to plan regular
sessions in the future.”

Men’s Captain Ron Perryman said:
“It was a pleasure to entertain Epping St John’s pupils to play
bowls. They were enthusiastic and several showed lots of promise in
a short space of time. We would like to do it again and hope we can
establish something during our season April to
September."

Epping bowls club has been in existence since 1911. There are both
Ladies and Gents sections and lots of mixed friendlies throughout
the season.

The club can be a base for beginners, social members and for those
who wish to play in more competitive competitions within the
county.

Club members are encouraged to play in some of the in-house club
competitions with the silverware being presented at our annual
dinner leading up to Christmas.

There are also several social nights to attend throughout the
outdoor season.

The club has a reputation for being a warm and welcoming group and
we are especially proud of this.

Bowls is a social game but like all sports, can have its
competitive edge. If you are a beginner, you can take advantage of
our coaching sessions and as you progress, you will be exposed to
more competitive matches.

Whatever the result, you can debate it at length while using
our bar and canteen facilities.

There are sets of bowls for you to use until you make your mind up
which type suits you best. We have an inexpensive dress code which
is relaxed after 17:00 for casual roll ups if there is no other
official match in progress.

The club is run and managed by the committee made up from its
members. Everyone though has a part to play in keeping the grounds
playable and maintaining the facilities.

If you feel you would like to contribute to keeping this wonderful
and traditional club alive in Epping, please go to our contacts
link above and let us know.

We are delighted to announce a cash boost from the Tesco Bags of
Help initiative. The Club was chosen as one of three local projects
to benefit from the scheme which ran throughout November and
December. Customers were urged to put blue tokens in boxes
supporting local projects, every time they shop.

Now the Club has received £1,000 towards the task of raising funds
to replace its cantankerous mowers. Anne Munro, Club Secretary,
said “This is a great injection for club funds and we are
delighted. Thank you to all who put their tokens in our box. Bowls
is a great game for all the family.”